8He paused. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" he asked softly, a hint of anger slipping through.
She sighed shakily. "No, I'm alright. It's just...I messed up Eli. I should've locked the car. How could I be so-"
"Hey," he said sternly. "Don't beat yourself up about it. I'll be there with Reynolds, alright? Just relax, please."
She ran her hand through her hair, and sighed. "Okay, yeah, thanks. Oh, and remember to make sure to not tell him anything. Just act ignorant."
"Yeah, Lightman, I remember."
There was a pause on both ends, neither quite wanting to end the only link between them. The truth was, they were both scared. No, not for themselves, for each other. Not that either of them would admit to it.
"Just come quickly," she said, breaking the silence. "This could turn nasty."
He grimaced, the idea of it not settling well with in his mind. "Don't worry, Ria. I'll be there in twenty."
"Be careful coming in," she said softly.
He laughed. "Oh, I'm ninja. I can so dodge the cameras."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said smiling. Only he of all people would joke at a time like this.
"I'll show you. See you soon," he said quickly, reaching for his keys.
She sighed. "See you," she said as they both hung up.
"Thank God," she said, and let out a breath she had been holding in.
He opened his arms wide. "Told ya' I'm ninja."
She laughed and went to his arms, going in for a quick hug, not liking the smirk that looked so out of place on Foster's worried face as she looked at the two of them. He, however, had other plans. He hugged her tight, and she couldn't help but reciprocate.
"I was worried about you."
She broke the hug. "Me? I was worried about you. You were lucky he didn't spot you two. I don't think it would've gone pretty."
He shrugged. "You're more important than me," he said sheepishly. "In my book, anyways."
She looked at him in surprise. Sure, they had come far from where they had started, but she didn't expect that. He looked at his shoes, and she felt heat moving to her face. Foster would've laughed if they were in a different setting. They were acting like two teenagers with no idea of what to do.
"Thanks," she whispered. "Same here," she said, shocking both of them.
Reynolds rolled his eyes. "Hey, Romeo and Juliet. We're not exactly in the best situation here," he said, annoyed.
They both jumped, and Eli cleared his throat while Ria instantly focused. This was not some regular case.
"Right," Eli said. "Lightman with a gun to his head. Not good."
Foster's clouded eyes cleared, and were replaced by a determination that startled everyone in the room.
"Let's save Cal."
"I swear, Loker, if he shoots you and you die, I will come after you," she whispered fiercely. "Who will help with Lightman and Foster's colossal sexual tension? No one! You better not die on me, Mr. Ivy-League-Badass."
He raised his arms up in surrender. "Okay, first of all, he won't shoot me. My Ivy-League-Badass brain came up with a foolproof plan. And second- Oh, wow, that sounded dirty."
She looked confused for a second, then her face relaxed in understanding. She smacked his arm and rolled her eyes.
"Not now, Eli." The reached up and fixed the hat. "There. All ready."
"Thanks," he whispered.
She bit her lip. "Be careful."
He smirked. "Don't worry. If I die, I'd force you to come after me, and that can't happen. I am a gentleman, you know."
She made a frustrated noise and shoved him out the door. He chuckled, and she rolled her eyes. She didn't tell him this, but she was silently thankful for his crude remarks. They kept her from blowing everything out of proportion. She was usually cool and collected, but not this time.
However, as soon as Reynolds stepped in front of Eli and started going over the plan quickly once more, she started panicking. She was scared. What if he got shot? Would he be okay? She turned her gaze to Gillian, and they both shared a look of understanding.
"Okay, let's go," she heard Reynolds say.
Let the games begin.
Ria couldn't describe the fear she felt. She was terrified. All she could do was stare at Eli. And the gun. Oh God, the gun. Just by looking at Matheson's face she knew he was one second from shooting. And Eli...he was the target.
Foolproof plan? Foolproof plan my ass, she thought angrily.
Everything was a blur. All she could see now was the gun, the artificial lights from the screen bouncing off its black, dismal cover. She held on to the bottom of the black demin jacket on Eli's back like a lifeline.
She heard Matheson scream, and saw the gun move to Eli's head. A gun went off and the jacket slipped from her grasp. For a split second, she panicked. She felt like she was about to cry. She closed her eyes tightly, partially because the sound had been too loud for such a small room, and partially because she didn't want to see Eli with a gunshot to the chest.
Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Matheson on the ground. She looked at Lightman as he left and exhaled a breath of relief. Eli was alive. Running a hand through her hair, she looked back at Matheson, and barely registered when Reynolds said...something.
Biting her lip, she tried to blink away the tears that had suddenly sprung in her eyes. She wasn't about to cry. Not here.
"Ria," Eli said softly.
He took her hand gently and lead her out the door. She tried to stop the tears, but she couldn't. She made a noise of frustration, and he sighed.
"It's okay to cry, Ria."
She looked at him, tears running down her face. "You could've died," she whispered.
He smirked slightly. "Aye. But what gentleman would I be if I had let thee come first then me?"
She laughed and cried at the same time. It was a strange but beautiful combination of amusement, anxiety, and disbelief. As his arms encased her, she grabbed onto the black shirt, and cried. For how long, she wasn't sure, but the last thing she remembered was his warm eyes and reassuring smile looking down at her.
Everything else disappeared. He was there with her and that was all that mattered.
Author's Note: Yes, I'm aware it's like, super short and probably has alot of errors, but bear with me guys? It's my first Lie to Me fanfic. (: Review and tell me what you think! And don't just add to your favorites. Not that I don't appreciate it...but if you take you time to add one of my stories to your favorites, why don't you take a couple more seconds to write a review? Is it really that hard? Are you even reading this? (; Alot of people don't even read ANs but whatevs. :P
And sorry about the same lame joke used over and over again. Don't worry, more super-lame jokes to come! :D
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.